Slow cooker vegetarian stew with kale is comfort food done right

Brandy is the author of the food blog, Nutmeg Nanny. In her spare time she enjoys developing recipes, baking and cooking. She is a small town girl who left the corn fields of Ohio for the scenic beauty of the Hudson Valley region of New ...

This slow cooker stew is packed full of comfort thanks to kale, beans and veggies

In the middle of winter, I get to a point where I want nothing but comfort food. I know comfort food means something different to everyone, but for me, comfort food means soup, carbs and winter vegetables.

This soup is easy to throw together and gets even easier when you find out it's cooked in the slow cooker. It's packed full of wintry root vegetables, nutritious black beans and leafy green kale. To keep this vegetarian, I used vegetable stock, but if you're looking to add even more protein to the dish, you could use chicken stock and add in cooked spicy sausage or cooked shredded chicken.

Directions:

Pour in the vegetable stock, and add the smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Put the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, until the vegetables are soft. Keep an eye on the soup, because depending on the size of the cubed vegetables, they can cook either quickly or slowly. The larger the cubes, the longer the cook time.

Near the end of the cook time (about 20 minutes left), stir in the chopped kale, and let the kale soften in the soup.

To serve, pour the soup into bowls, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.